Professor Hydran
"Remember, a dead fish can float downstream, but it takes a live one to swim upstream." '' ~''W.C. Fields Professor Hydran (born ??? 617 ME), often simply referred to as "Hydran", is a founder of the Knights of Nadir, and by extension a high-ranking member of the Brigade. Introduced in the first session under the guise of a professor on extended sabbatical from the Wizards of the Coast, Hydran is a long-standing infamous party member of the Halintar: Respite of the Gods campaign. After a serious altercation with the Moonlight King during the Crime Does(n't) Pay arc, Hydran was discovered to have over 100 years of lost memories shrouded by fey magic. Among these memories are those of his time as a member of the Thunderfleet, particularly under the role of Joker. The full details or consequences of this history are yet to be divulged even to Hydran's closest allies. __TOC__ Personality < general personality summary > < personality around close friends > Relationships < list close friends, allies, enemies gained due to nature > Appearance Hydran is based loosely upon the lionfish, with the standard red-white coloration replaced with a light blue body and mustard yellow stripes. He has dark brown sclera with large caramel irises and no visible pupils. A Mohawk-like fin ribbed with long dorsal spines sits on his head, alongside four slender antennae- two which rest where eyebrows would be, and two extending from the cheekbones. Two slender mandibular appendages (long, thin fins) extend from the edges of his mouth. His two pelvic fins are split into four long, flowing segments, with thin whiskers on either side. His tail ends in a way that is much more dolphin-like in composition, with a median notch and two flukes, though like the pelvic fins they are framed with whiskers and contain four flowing segments apiece. Being the professional instructor that he is, Hydran is almost always wearing a lab coat. He started the campaign with a plain white coat, but upon visiting Nadir's Zenith for the first time, switched to a more festive, tropical coat, pictured in his current profile image. Later down the line, Hydran finds and dons what appears to be his coat from his time in the Thunderfleet, which appears to be another standard white coat with a "Joker" insignia emblazoned on the inside of the left chest pocket. As of 1 B-US 905 ME, Hydran also wears a tiny headband on his right pinky, a trophy from the brutal murder of Beaser the beetle. Early Life (Pre-Campaign) The details of Hydran's early life are mostly a mystery. They were this way even for himself up until the party's excursion into the Feywild during the Crime Does(n't) Pay arc, when they faced off against and defeated the Moonlight King, Chalmers Krezant. Chalmers was most notable for appearing whenever Hydran used the spell Spirit Cartographer. When the Moonlight King was defeated, vast amounts of fey energy were released from his corpse, instantly restoring over 100 years of stolen memories from Hydran. The sudden overflow of energy caused him to fall into a coma-like trance which lasted for about a month, and caused many memory-based complications. It wasn't until Paradoxie herself restored Hydran's mental state that he was able to fully recollect all his memories, both pre-Chalmers and those of his times with the party. Out of what's been recalled, it's been revealed that Hydran had once had a wife and two sons, whose present whereabouts are unknown. He had fled Halintar to live with them in the Vortex Isles, before being abducted and returned to the High North with his lab coat and no memories. From his emblazoned lab coat and offhand statements it can also be gleaned that he was once a member of the Thunderfleet, with the title of Joker, but his further actions and experiences from that era are yet to be publicly discussed. Outside of his lost memories, Hydran's closest allies know few details about his history. His adoptive brother and other long-term allies know that his parents were brutally murdered by Salt Dwarves while he was on his first expedition with them at a very young age, which he barely survived. Since his youth he's also had many an odd dream involving a mysterious golden merfolk, which was later revealed to be Shards. He had once been a professor with the Wizards of the Coast, but the duration and particularities of that time in his life are unknown. The Great Sabbatical (Halintar: Respite of the Gods) Put Up A Barrel (Pre-Breach Arcs) Hydran was present in the first session of Halintar: Respite of the Gods. Under the pretense of going on a sabbatical, he had hired Ohwaldian visitor Rabi Phendara as a bodyguard to protect him as he traveled south to investigate the Shining. The two had taken refuge at the Tipsy Tengu at the same time as his fated future friends, and after solving a murder mystery together he agreed to join Caravan 17 as their journey was taking them in the same direction. Hydran notably got along well with Zor, the tief-orc mercenary. He was present for the entirety of the Pre-Breach Arcs. Approaching Moore Bay, Hydran and company met Rok'saog Bonecrush, a young orc from the Badlands who became one of Hydran's most deeply trusted friends. Upon entering the town Hydran also met Shards, the mysterious golden merfolk manifesting in his dreams, who happened to actually be a yellow/brass dragon protecting the town of exiles with her powerful magic. The party also runs into one of Hydran's former students, Ace Ellabryne, who regards the party with snobbish contempt. Ace is responsible for the teleportation-based kidnapping of Shards' entire house, cutting their first meeting tragically short. The Hot Shot (Ashen "Breach" Arcs) Hydran is with the party through the entirety of the Ashen "Breach" Arcs. While in the capitol city, Hydran is present when the group loses T, after he pulls the donjon card from the Deck of Many Things and is teleported into the Astral Plane. Later on, the group is taken into questioning regarding a series of murders. There, they meet Kefyn Cactar, a sheriff of the Cabal who was also under suspicion until another murder happened while he was in jail. He assists in hunting down the killer and becomes a long-standing member of the party. Jailbreak! (Breakneck Breakout, Crime Does(n't) Pay Arcs) After the party gets some rest at Nadir's Zenith, Gustave discusses the death of Karomatzu and invites the party to join his cause. Hydran agrees, becoming a member of the Brigade. The party agrees to depart to save Shards and Sarnai, who have been whisked away to a high-security Fringe prison named Fort Breakneck. They leave Gant behind, who has fallen into a psionic coma. Hydran is present for the entirety of the Breakneck Breakout arc. Pranks a Lot (Avacado-Bot) While traveling to the fort, Hydran makes a deal with a group of con men in Lyzdra, trading the last of his (rotting) dragonfly eggs for 100 avocados, his favorite fruit. Hydran and company meet Rhyn while stopping in Dazarahn, who agrees to accompany the party in their dangerous mission. Gidge, the kind inventor who had been housing Rhyn, gifts the party with a music-box powered robot, whom Hydran dubs the Avocado bot. It then carries all the avocados he owns for him while playing a jolly jaunt. The group discovers the teleported home in ruins, being investigated by a strange mercenary group known as the Mithral Krew. Collaborating with them is Madame Versal von Dastur, the archmage of Karomatzu. When the party is inevitably noticed, she brutally attacks Rabi- only for Hydran's avocadobot to nail a critical hit on her with one of the avocados. It then explodes, providing enough cover for the group to make their escape- and for Hydran and Kefyn to grab a few roasted avocados that rain from the sky. Life of Crime (The Fusiona Incident) As the party continued, the party was attacked by a member of the Mithral Krew, Donner. They were able to escape, but Kris was badly wounded and needed medical attention beyond what magical healing could provide. They ended up in a town at the base of a mountain called Fusiona. Though a simple town, Fusiona had requirements for outsiders to complete certain paperwork before being allowed to roam freely. A disagreement broke out and the governing bodies refused to give them the paperwork they needed to save Kris, but as they attempted to leave the town hall Hydran froze the door shut with magic. Panic ensued, threats were made by the guards, and ultimately Hydran fled the scene using a fly spell while Kefyn slaughered the remaining guards in the hall who tried to make chase. Throughout all this, the rest of the group struggles to get the local doctor to help Kris without the paperwork. A roc, whom the group later found out was a deity named Skerrit, swooped in and rescued the group from the attacks launched by the townsfolk, and Hydran followed their trail back to the centaur village where Kris was properly healed and the doctor promptly released from the pseudo-hostage situation. I'm With Stupid ("Dad?" + Rabi Unleashed) When the group finally reached and broke into Fort Breakneck, they ran into Versel again, who was baffled that Hydran was alive. She recognized him as a father figure to herself, much to the confusion of the party, and assisted them in laying siege to the final chamber to set Shards free. After taking on the leaders of the Glitterati to distract them, she vanished without a trace. Hydran was present when Rabi's draconic power was unsealed after being hit with one of Cyrus Nifeton's demonic attacks. Hydran, alongside the rest of the party, assisted in bringing Rabi back to his senses. The group was then able to successfully retrieve Shards and barely escape the fort with their lives. Krabby Land (Hydranland, 425r-ay) After returning to home base, Hydran used his saved-up funds to begin the construction of Hydranland, a large mansion nestled by the Zenith. He hired workers from nearby towns to supervise the construction as the group left again, this time to investigate the disappearance of Oakarthel. He also worked with another scientist of the Brigade, Darwin, to build 42tr-4y. This allowed him to retrieve Andromeda's staff after losing it post-Moore Bay attack. Fools in April (Crime Does(n't) Pay, the Moonlight King) Hydran was around for the entirety of the Crime Does(n't) Pay arc. Early on after the party began traveling to Oakarthel, Hydran was with the group when they finally settled on a name for their party- the Knights of Nadir. Also on their journey, Hydran's newly learned spell, Spirit Cartographer, was discovered to summon a sentient being- a bulter-esque spirit whose name was Chalmers. Later on, it was discovered that Chalmers was the Moonlight King, a powerful fey who had somehow been responsible for the loss of Hydran's memories. Upon the death of the Moonlight King, Hydran's memories were restored, causing him to fall into a deep magical coma. The party entrusted his safety to Adrian Nifeton, Kris' older sister, who took him with her to Cinadaria. He was gone throughout the duration of the Conclave arc, to return later on in the campaign. High Sea Driving (Indurate Infinitum Arc) Some unidentified time after parting way with the party, Hydran woke up confused and with distorted memories in the care of Adrian Nifeton. He escaped captivity and somehow was able to rein in two feral coral drakes to speed up his travel. More odd than that, though he could not remember the party he instinctually returned to them not knowing their whereabouts. After the party dispatched the drakes, Hydran continued to travel with and trust the party with his safety despite not remembering them. From that point forward, Hydran joined in on the Indurate Infinitum arc and remains still today. Upon meeting with Paradoxie, the Dragon-God used her powers to restore Hydran's mind in full. The Knights of Nadir then agreed to assist the goddess in her request to find a way to stop the Temporal Storm from hitting the capitol, which they were successful in doing. While in Cinadaria, Hydran and Kefyn unlocked the secrets of the Secret Bar, earning access to the Secret Secret Bar, aka an entrance to the outer plane known as the Beastlands. There, they met and befriended the Bear King. During their rest, Hydran returned to the Wizards of the Coast to collect funds for his sabbatical. He was able to get 120,000 gp before fleeing the scene. Due to this, any changes in his position or status within the Wizards of the Coast is unknown. The Algae's Always Greener After taking a long-needed rest at the Zenith, Hydran and company have now departed to chase after Jacques Nifeton, who they've discovered is alive and currently somewhere in the Sea of Salt striking some agreement with the Salt Dwarves. Hydran has been present for the entire The Algae's Always Greener arc thus far, and it has been announced that it is his major story arc. Campaign / Oneshot Appearances Halintar: Respite of the Gods Hydran has appeared in all arcs of Halintar: Respite of the Gods except for the Conclave Arc, during which he was on hiatus. Oneshots & Outings Hydran has participated in two outings, both with Darwin involved. * The Euclid Phenomenon, where Hydran and Darwin created 42tr-4y. * A Bag By Any Other Name, where Hydran and Darwin experimented on Rabi to create B4FT. Hydran has participated in one oneshot thus far. * The Secret Bar, a oneshot following Hydran and Kefyn as they tried to discover the unknown combination of drinks that allowed them entry to the Secret Secret Bar Quotes ''Rabi'', post-Fusiona chaos: "YOU!" Hydran: "Me! :D" ----- "I literally eat those!" ''-Nick Board, pre-session'' Soundtrack Gallery Hydran_beach.png|Hydran Hydran_beach_nobubble.png|Hydran without his bubble Weird fish by wackoshirow-d3aa5pv.jpg|Hydran Spawn Category:Player Characters Category:HRotG Category:WIP